Lost on Leros May 6, 2016

 We spent two days in Lakki, Leros, an island we knew pretty well since we spent several days here last summer.   The first day, Ron and I walked across the island along the same route as we did last year, reorienting ourselves and seeing what had changed and some familiar faces along the way.  

The green line is my path....

On the second day, I was full of energy and Ron had things to do, so I started out to walk across the island once again to take photos along the way.

Ron in his office.

Two roads leave Leros from the same square, and by accident I took the wrong road, leading not to Agia Marina but to the other side of the island. As happy and cheerful as I was, reveling in the fine spring weather, I was well along before I realized that I had taken the wrong road. Using my Iphone map feature, I decided to travel along overland to meet up with the correct road. Simple?

The farm country in Leros

 I walked up and down steep and narrow farm lanes, past tidy and fruitful farms, where small patches of wheat, pomegranate, eggplants, zucchini and melons, olives, tomatoes, and grape vines grew near paddocks for donkeys and sleek cattle. It was lovely and quiet with only the sounds of birds and animals.  Winding down and up steep craggy  hills, I took several wrong turns and came to dead ends, but was set right by friendly farm folk and eventually found the way.

Nobody here but us chickens.

Once I was back on the main road, I stopped for rest at Dimitri's Taverna in Vromolithos where we had stopped last year.

Lovely clear water, but still a bit chilly for swimming.

Classic Aegean.

Dimitri's octopi drying in the sun.

 I drank a bottle of cool water and enjoyed the spectacular view. Dimitri helped me with my  "one-a-day" campaign to learn Greek words and phrases. My funny practice phrase from the book was yiati yalas meaning why are you laughing...he gave me the answer...yaiti ieme charoumeny...because I am happy!

I walked down to Pandeli and all the way out to the end of the fisherman's pier.

The fishing fleet in Pandeli

Fishermen mending their nets

Grim faces, no fish.

 Admiring the colorful tidiness of the boats, nevertheless I saw crews with grim faces and no fish.

 I made my way over through Platano town to Agia Marina for lunch at a nice cafe,

Greek salad, so fresh,,

then walked along the waterfront to see the sunken windmill.

Beauty around every turn.

Leros' famous sunken mill.

The taverna by the mill...artful.

A chapel in Pandeli

I passed  by the Lemonis Taverna which was closed... but went back to ask a boutique lady if Lemonis is a local family name. From my days long ago sailing aboard the SS Dolphin in Miami, I remembered Second Officer Costas Lemonis. She said yes, annd suggested I inquire further. I went on to the Taverna by the sunken mill. There I asked about Costas; the proprietor's mom is a relative and made a few calls and found out Costa's son is here and he is in Crete. What a small and wonderful world! I began the long walk home. At a rest stop long the way back I chatted with Paris, who owns a local radio station.

Paris the radio man.

Back at the boat, happy with my day and ready to rest, I estimated that I had walked at least 20 km  this day. It felt like the Greek Camino!